Fun Facts About Ants
Ants will enslave other ants, keeping them captive and making them do work for the colony.
Quite a few ant species will take captives from other ant species, forcing them to do chores for their own colony. Some honeypot ants will even enslave ants of the same species, taking individuals from foreign colonies to do their bidding. Polyergus queens, also known as Amazon ants, raid the colonies of unsuspecting Formica ants. The Amazon queen will find and kill the Formica queen, then enslave the Formica workers. The slave workers help her rear her own brood. When her Polyergus offspring reach adulthood, their sole purpose is to raid other Formica colonies and bring back their pupae, ensuring a steady supply of slave workers. Hmmmm!
Ants are capable of carrying objects 50 times their own body weight with their mandibles.
Ants use their diminutive size to their advantage. Relative to their size, their muscles are thicker than those of larger animals or even humans. This ratio enables them to produce more force and carry larger objects. If we had muscles in the proportions of ants, we’d be able to heave a Hyundai over our heads!
Minnesota Ant Pest Control
Ants many times can be the worst pests of all. Anywhere in and around your house or business, including your lawn, walls, stumps, and under your foundation, are perfect nesting spots for ants. Yikes! No wonder they seem to continuously invade your home or business no matter what you try.
What you need is an exterminator who will locate the nest location(s) and eliminate all the ants. They have been dealing with these annoying pests for many years. They are able to tell the difference in ant species, which means they require different treatments. Also, they are well trained in locating their nesting location and terminating the colony in a timely manner.
Photo: Scott Bauer, USDA Agricultural Research Service
